The frame for the parking brake in my '84 T-Bird was held onto the firewall below the dashboard by a 1/4" bolt that threads through the frame plate and through a hole bored in the firewall. Or rather, it did. About a week ago the metal around the hole broke out (leaving a hole about 3/8" wide), causing the frame, with the pedal and the release handle, to fall almost to the floor. (Nothing else was affected.)
I can’t reach the other side of that point on the firewall in this car; and I tried to fit a 1/4" toggle bolt in, but the widest part of the spring-loaded toggle for a 1/4" bolt is too wide to fit through the hole. (The firewall is too thin for a “molly pin.”)
Any suggestions on this, before I decide I’ll have to go to a metal shop? Thanx.
Can you make a patch plate, somewhat larger than the hole, with the correct sized hole in the center, and secure it to the firewall with sheet-metal screws?
If there’s enough room to work on the side you can access, you might be able to install a reinforcing plate, say 3 or 4 inches square or round and 1/16" or so thick. You’d have to drill a fair number of holes around the perimeter of the plate and attach it to the firewall with pop-rivets, and drill a hole in the center (more or less) of the plate for the original bolt. If that bolt went into a captive nut, you may have to weld a nut onto the plate before installing it (measure carefully).
But it was the floor under the gas peddle that rusted out.
I took some heavy galvenized sheet metal. Pulled out all the carpet, cut out all old rust, painted it and caulked it into place.
It’s nearly impossible to form a piece of sheet metal to fit a curved area without a machine shop and press.
So… Caulk is your friend. Caulk the hell out of the area and put your new piece of metal on.
I thought about welding it but didn’t want to weld galvanised metal and didn’t want to weld under my dash. And since I could not form the new metel to match perfect, welding would be tough.
Worked great. Throw some sheet metel screws in it if it needs to support your parking break.
Hard part is gonna be finding thick enough sheet metel. I used culvert material. The scuppers that you put on the end. Just happend to have one
Had to cut it with a sawsall. If you can cut it with snips, it’s probably to thin.
Or…
Instead of a thick piece of sheet metal. Use galvanized flashing. You can buy step flashing at any lumber yard. It can be cut with snips and is easier to form.
Put a couple of layers of this on. Caulk every layer. Then drill it and screw it. It should be strong enough to then drill it and attach your parking brake.
